Dale Earnhardt Jr. has pushed back against the criticism aimed at Carson Hocevar after the NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway. Hocevar became the focus of NASCAR drama after his contact with Brad Keselowski during the Cook Out Southern 500. The incident sent Keselowski into the wall and ended Stage 1 under caution.
Keselowski finished 23rd, while Hocevar recovered to finish 11th. Christopher Bell won the race. The incident then became a major NASCAR story, with Keselowski warning Hocevar that payback could come and Denny Hamlin criticizing Spire Motorsports.
Earnhardt Jr., however, took a different view. Speaking on Dirty Air with co-host T.J. Majors, he said NASCAR needs drivers who create rivalries, drama and attention. His comments came as the Hocevar controversy continued to dominate discussion around the sport.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Defends Carson Hocevar After NASCAR Drama
Earnhardt Jr. said he likes much of what he sees from Hocevar and believes the young driver brings something NASCAR needs.
“I like a lot of what I see,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I like that. We need the rivalries, the entertainment of it. We need it. And he’s providing it, man.”
Earnhardt Jr. did not say Hocevar was right to make contact with Keselowski. Instead, he said he would like to know whether Hocevar made a mistake or caused the incident intentionally.
“If you pulled Hocevar out of the field entirely, man, I don’t know that I like it as much as him being involved in it,” he said. “I don’t have anything that I would tell him to do differently. Other than I would love to know if he f*cked up or did he do that on purpose?”
Hocevar has not publicly said that he intentionally wrecked Keselowski.
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Keselowski made his feelings clear after the NASCAR race.
“His day’s coming and it’s coming hard. Watch out, Carson,” Keselowski said.
Hamlin also entered the NASCAR controversy. He described Spire Motorsports as an “unserious” organization with “no adults in the room.”
Earnhardt Jr. said Hamlin’s comments were a strong personal criticism between team owners.
“I love when we get Denny Hamlin coming on his podcast and saying they’re an unserious organization,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “Denny Hamlin is really sharp, and he knows how to dig, and he knows how to really get you good.”
Earnhardt Jr. added that he would be angry if someone made the same statement about JR Motorsports.
NASCAR Needs Carson Hocevar, Earnhardt Jr. Says
Earnhardt Jr. also acknowledged that his reaction could change if Hocevar made contact with a driver connected to him.
“Race fan me is good with it,” he said. “Unless I mean, if he ran into Josh Berry, I’d have a different opinion. Can I be honest? What do y’all want me to lie? If he ran into Blaney, I’d be like f*ck, dude, Blaney, go kick his ass.”
He also said Keselowski has every right to seek retribution.
“Brad Keselowski, I would say, is a good friend of mine, but we’re all big boys, and he puts that driver’s suit on, he knows he signed up for whatever may happen out there,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “And if he thinks this, he needs to go handle this. He will handle it.”
Earnhardt Jr. then made his main point about NASCAR drama.
“But I mean, look, our sport needs this, whatever you want to call it. Drama, entertainment, controversy, whatever you want to call it. It needs it. And [Hocevar is] delivering it. I wish there were four or five more Hocevars in the field.”
For Earnhardt Jr., the Carson Hocevar controversy has kept NASCAR fans talking after the race. Whether Hocevar intentionally caused the contact with Keselowski remains unanswered, but the NASCAR feud has already become one of the major talking points from Darlington.
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